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15 years experience

Matthew Obach

M.A.Sc., P.Eng., CFEI, CVFI
Operations Manager Manitoba, Saskatchewan & Mechanical Engineer

Primary Service Area Winnipeg

Email mobach@ocig.com

Contact PH: 1 (888) 624-3473, 196 / M: (204) 330-2395

Industries

Agriculture : Agricultural Equipment Failures, Agricultural Equipment Fires
Insurance : CAT Claims, Equipment Failures, Fraud Investigations, Personal Injury Investigations, Product Liability, Subrogation, Water Claims
Legal : Expert Witness, Personal Injury Investigations, Product Liability, Subrogation Consulting
Manufacturing : Equipment Failures, Failure Analysis
Mining
Property Management : Plumbing and HVAC Failures

Solutions

Forensic Engineering: Fire & Explosion Investigation, Litigation, Mechanical Engineering, Personal Injury, Product & Equipment Failures
Product Safety Testing: Failure Analysis

Overview

Matt is a licensed professional engineer in the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, BC, and Ontario, as well as the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. He is a certified fire and explosion investigator and certified vehicle fire investigator, specializing in mechanical related losses, and has conducted over 1000 investigations. Prior to working in forensic engineering consulting, Matt spent multiple years in the academic and research field studying various fire science topics at both the University of Waterloo and the University of Saskatchewan.

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Education

Mechanical Engineering
University of Waterloo – Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
2011

Mechanical Engineering
University of Saskatchewan – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
2009

Certifications

Certified Fire and Explosion Investigator (CFEI), NAFI – since 2012, recertification every 5 years
Certified Vehicle Fire Investigator (CVFI), NAFI – since 2015
Berla iVe Vehicle System Forensics

Professional Associations

Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Manitoba (APEGM) Professional Engineer since 2014
Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS) Professional Engineer since 2015
Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) Professional Engineer since 2014
Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA) Professional Engineer since 2017
Northwest Territories and Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists (NAPEG)
Professional Engineer since 2016 Engineers Geoscientists British Columbia (EGBC)
Professional Engineer since 2019

Technical Affiliations

Member – National Association of Fire Investigators (NAFI) – Since 2012
Member – Canadian Association of Fire Investigators (CAFI)

Professional Experience

Have participated in more than 1,000 investigations to date specializing in mechanical related losses.

Forensic Engineer
OCI Group (Formerly Origin and Cause Incorporated)
April 2015 – Present

Investigation of vehicle, truck, and heavy equipment fires, and structural fires with mechanical equipment involved
Forensic investigation of failures involving mechanical equipment
Digital data acquisition from vehicles using the Berla iVe and Bosch systems

Fire Investigator/Forensic Engineer
EFI Global
Ottawa, ON / Winnipeg, MB
June 2012 – April 2015

Numerous fire investigations of residential, commercial, and vehicle/equipment fires, indoor air quality investigations and testing, and slip and fall investigations. Investigations conducted for various insurance
clients

Applied Commercial and Industrial Sales
The Master Group
Ottawa, ON
2011 – 2012

Aided engineering clients in selection and specification of HVAC components

M.A.Sc. Candidate
University of Waterloo
Waterloo, ON
2009 – 2011

Conducted thesis research on manual suppression techniques in a compartment fire

Research Assistant
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, ON
2008 – 2009

Conducted literature review of wild land fire convection column theory and created a plume in the laboratory using salt-water modelling.

Further Education & Training

IAAI –NFPA Fire Investigator’s Course (2022)
Berla iVe Vehicle System Forensics Training Course (2018)
Fire Findings: Investigation of Gas and Electric Appliance Fires Course (2016)
SAFC Seminar – Inspecting Commercial Kitchen Systems (2014)
CAFI Seminar – Overlooked Ignition Sources and Evidence Management (2014)
Canadian National Advanced Fire, Arson and Explosion Investigation Training Program (2012)
EFI Global Fire Training and Live Burn, Memphis, TN (2012)
Advanced Fire Investigation Workshop with Dr. John DeHaan (2012)
CFEI Trainer, 25 online courses (2012 to present)

Presentions

NFPA 921 Fire Investigator Course: Vehicle Fire Investigations. Nov 6 (2024)
Vehicle Fire Investigation Procedure, CCATA Conference, Winnipeg, MB. Jun 5, 2024
NFPA 921 Fire Investigator Course: Vehicle Fire Investigation, Grimsby, ON. Aug 20, 2023
Vehicle System Forensics (IAAI), ON. Jun 8, 2023
Investigating Farm Machinery Losses, Online. May 31, 2023
Vehicle Fire Investigation (IIBC). Mar 30, 2023
NFPA 921 Fire Investigator Course: Vehicle Fire Investigation, Online. Jun 9, 2021
Vehicle Fire Origin Determination (CCATA Conference). 2019
Cause Determination in Vehicle Fires – Vehicle Fire Investigations (IAAI). 2017
Fire Dynamics – Guest Lecture, Oxygen Consumption Calorimetry, University of Waterloo. 2009 and 2010
Fire Safety Engineering – Teaching Assistant, University of Waterloo. 2011
Ordinary Differential Equations – Teaching Assistant, University of Waterloo. 2010

Publications

Publications as First Author

Obach, Matthew R. (2011) Effects of Initial Fire Attack Suppression Tactics on the Firefighter and Compartment Environment. M.A.Sc. Thesis, University of Waterloo.
Obach, M.R., E.J. Weckman, and A. Strong (2011) Effects of different suppression tactics on the firefighter and compartment environment, International Association of Fire Safety Science, Maryland.
Obach, M.R., and E.J. Weckman (2010) Comparing the heat release rate and heat flux of uniformly constructed wood cribs, Combustion Institute – Canadian Section, Ottawa.
Obach, M.R., D.A. Torvi, D. Sumner, and D.J. Bergstrom (2010) Salt-water modeling of a wildland fire’s convection column, Combustion Institute – Canadian Section, Ottawa.

Other Publications

Robson, L.D., Torvi, DA, Obach, MR and Weckman, EJ, Effects of variations in incident heat flux when using cone calorimeter test data for prediction of full-scale heat release rates of polyurethane foam, Fire and Materials, Vol 40, 2016 pp 89-113.
Robson, L.D, M.R. Obach, J. Rigg, J.U. Ezinwa, D.A. Torvi, and E.J. Weckman (2011) Effects of polyurethane foam thickness on heat release rates measured in cone and furniture calorimeter tests, Fire and Materials, Wiley, MA.
Ezinwa, J.U., L.D. Robson, M.R. Obach, D.A. Torvi, and E.J. Weckman (2011) Evaluating models for predicting full-scale fire behaviour of polyurethane foam using cone calorimeter data, Fire Technology, Springer, NY.
Robson, L.D, M.R. Obach, J.U. Ezinwa, D.A. Torvi, and E.J. Weckman (2010) Effects of polyurethane foam thickness on flame spread and heat release rates in furniture calorimeter tests, Combustion Institute – Canadian Section, Ottawa.